Due to deploy to afghanistan in 3 weeks, afraid of changing when i come home though..

[Deleted]

So, i'm due to deploy to afghanistan in 3 weeks, i've never really had any doubts in my mind about it..i'm in the british army infantry, (Royal Fusiliers) and
i only just started thinking about it today..My brother came back a few months ago, and he changed in a way, he became distant, he never really spoke
about what happened over there, and he's emotionally scarred..i'm looking forward to going for the experience and the story's i'll have of it someday..but i still have the thought of what if i change as a person when i come home?


edit: i'm 18 years old, and a private...if anyone wanted to know

[Shelly]

You will change. Maybe a little, maybe a lot.

Hopefully the change is for the better, you'll be calmer, more responsible and just know yourself and what you can handle better.

Keep your head together out there, you'll get homesick and you'll get lonely and you'll do some really really really dumb shit. That's just all part of being young and leaving from home.

Congrats on your service for your country and I hope you return home safely from your deployment.

Just remember if you seem to feel like you're cracking up - talk to someone. They have folks there for that, you might need to speak with them while deployed or more likely when you get home and it feels like everything's changed and no one understands.

[Dundebuns]

I only want to say one thing to you.

Stay safe and return to your loved ones.

[Charge me Doctor]

so, British army deploying to afganistan in 3 weeks? i think it's not that kind of information that can be spread on forums =)

[Thingamajig]

Change is inevitable, but you and your brother should be able to ... reconnect? (I suppose that's the appropriate word?) Hopefully the stories you come back with are encouraging rather than alarming. Best of luck.

[Velkahn]

You dont have to go. is not your war.
Government and their stupid war is shit, just fighting for wealth and power.
Stay with those who love you... choose your battles.

[Feel The Power]

so, British army deploying to afganistan in 3 weeks? i think it's not that kind of information that can be spread on forums =)

It's not as if he listed some sort of top secret mission on the forums. His group that is getting deployed was probably even mentioned in local newspapers.

[Shelly]

You dont have to go. is not your war.
Government and their stupid war is shit, just fighting for wealth and power.
Stay with those who love you... choose your battles.

Pretty sure at this point he HAS to go. Either that or he goes to jail, as a soldier you don't get to pick whom you fight, although you do have to respect and follow the proper rules of engagement. Unless of course you're an insurgent/resistance member or whatever you want to call it, but those have other risks and honestly the rules of engagement as currently written don't do enough to cover the rule of law and engagement when fighting people entrenched and indistinguishable from a civilian population.

Anyway they don't just let you go through basic training and then go "ok now, thanks for showing up. All the folks that feel like being lackeys for greedy imperialistic running dogs take the door to the left, all those who want to just go home take the door to the right."

Speaking of which, the last argument of kings while never to be lightly entered into is still a valid diplomatic step and I'm pretty sure that as Iraq has wound down you'd be hard pressed to claim the war in Afghanistan as a war just to keep the rich rich and the poor poor. Unless you think that it's being orchestrated entirely by big pharma in a bid to control the opium trade.

In which case you're combing current day fears with the politics of almost 200 years ago.

[Gemenon]

Don't kill any children and you should be alright. Keep your head down and don't be afraid of mental help experts when you get back.

[BlueGender]

Accept it to refuse it?

You joined the military because you accept the fact that people have a high chance of dying in your situation.

[Peyj]

Take care of yourself, and as others said, if you're affected when you get home, talk to someone. Seek professional assistance, don't just suffer in silence. Don't feel guilty or ashamed for feeling affected, or needing help.

It may mean your brother opens up to you a bit more - maybe he feels like nobody understands what he's gone through right now.

Stay safe.

[Grimtor]

Good luck buddy, I'm being recruited to the army my self in 3 weeks. best of luck for the both of us

[Deleted]

You will change while you're there, that's a fact, my ltd just got home from Afga and she's somewhat distant to us now, but she's slowly reverting back to how she used to be. So it's probably just a matter of how you cope with it down there and how easy you can relax when you get home - I think.

But stay safe mate, and return in one piece!

[Asics]

Don't be a hero, listen to your CO and return home when you are able to.

[BlueGender]

Don't be a hero, listen to your CO and return home when you are able to

The last person to oppose this and live got a medal of honor.

[Royaltru]

Just remember that everything you do while you're there is just your job. It's not who you are, don't get attached to what happens while you're there. What happens happens.

[Vehemence]

Your brother must have seen some shit that might have spooked him down to his core.

War is ugly OP...war is very ugly...

Keep fighting the good fight.

[Sanguinesun]

There is a saying: things always change... nothing remains the same.

All you must do is have the courage to face and accept change on your terms. Do not allow change to prevent you from growing to be the person that you want to be. In this you have the power of choice.

[BlueGender]

Just remember that everything you do while you're there is just your job. It's not who you are, don't get attached to what happens while you're there. What happens happens.

You might not want to look too far into this or else you would do something like murder children and blame it on "war orders" like it gives you an excuse to act satanic.

[Durandro]

so, British army deploying to afganistan in 3 weeks? i think it's not that kind of information that can be spread on forums =)

Considering the British army has been there for nearly ten years, its not exactly big news.